ten things i hate about you

no one i know wanted to watch ABC family's tv show version of Ten Things I Hate About You. every single person said, "it can't compare to the movie." and you know what? i love Julia Stiles (where the hell did she go?), and Heath Ledger did a great job (which is a lot coming from me, i was never a superfan, even though i think he was a superb actor). but as much as we all love mid nineties dramedies, it is possible to take them and spin them into something new without ruining the essence of what it once was.

TTIHAY the series was smart, sexy, and outspoken. Lindsey Shaw as Kat was a great casting role. she has really grown since Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. as a character, Kat is an environmentalist, and a very active student and citizen. she will not stand for injustice whether at school, or at home. she sticks to her guns and her beliefs, even when others try to put her down. most of all, Kat knows herself and her body. she believes in the power of being a woman. as her younger sister vies to be popular and pretty, and the best at cheerleading, Kat just wants to be the best person she can be, and she wants to help others. she can come off as brash, and a bit rude, but to be honest, if i knew her in real life, she'd be my best friend. Lindsey Shaw is extremely believable. 

The series itself straddled an appropriate line between sexuality and virginity. i was pleasantly surprised at ABC Family for the healthy, refreshing way in which they depicted sex, sexuality/homosexuality, interracial relationships, single father/two daughters, etc. they did not shy away from any topic, great or small. and for this, i believe it would have made a great conversation started at the dinner table between young adults and their parents/guardians. 

unfortunately, ABC Family has chosen to cancel this show when it was just getting started. television is made up of such junk. it is so rare that a gem like TTIHAY comes along, and even rarer that it lasts. it, and its lovable characters, especially Kat, will live on in my heart. a great feminist and humanitarian rolemodel has been lost.

in the future, i wish great success to the actors and people involved in the process of bringing TTIHAY to life on television.